The African Fact-checking Awards

Launched in 2014 and now in their sixth year, the African Fact-Checking Awards are the only awards that each year honour journalism by Africa-based media in the growing field of fact-checking.

They continue to grow. In 2018, we received over 150 entries from more than 20 countries, from Ethiopia and Nigeria to Egypt, South Africa and Zimbabwe. In our inaugural year, we received entries from more than 40 journalists across 10 countries.

“The role of information – and misinformation – in influencing public policy has in recent times been sharply thrust to the fore,” says Noko Makgato, Deputy Director at Africa Check.

“The increased interest every year in fact-checking can only help strengthen the quality of public debate, and hopefully, improve the quality of life across the continent. We look forward to even more entries this year.”

This year’s categories include:

Fact-check of the year by a working journalist

Fact-check of the year by a student

One runner-up in each of the two categories above.

Entries must have been published or broadcast between 1 September 2018 – 30 June 2019. They should have exposed as misleading or wrong a claim on an important topic made by a public figure or institution in Africa.

The winner of the awards for best fact-checking report by a working journalist will get a prize of $2,000, while the runner-up will be awarded $1,000. The winner of the award for best fact-checking report by a student journalist will get a prize of $1,000, and the runner-up $500.

Criteria

Best fact-checking report by a working journalist

To be eligible, the entry must be an original piece of fact-checking journalism first published or broadcast between 1 September 2018 and 30 June 2019, by a media house based in Africa. The work may be published in print or online, broadcast on the radio or television or published in a blog. Reports published by Africa Check are not eligible for the competition.

Best fact-checking report by a student journalist

To be eligible, the candidate must have attended a journalism school in Africa at some period between 1 September 2018 and 30 June 2019. The entry must be an original piece of fact-checking journalism, produced as course work or first published or broadcast between 1 September 2018 and 30 June 2019, in a blog, student publication or by a media house based in Africa. The work may be published in print or online, broadcast on the radio or television or published in a blog. Reports published by Africa Check are not eligible for the competition.

Candidates can only enter for the awards in one category per year, but can submit more than one report if they choose.

The judging process

The entries will be judged on the following four criteria:

The significance for wider society of the claim investigated

How the claim was tested against the available evidence

How well the piece presented the evidence for and against the claim

The impact that the publication had on public debate on the topic.

Entries close at midnight GMT on 30 June 2019. The shortlist will be unveiled in mid-September 2019 – do be on the lookout!

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We hold public figures accountable

For democracy to function, public figures need to be held to account for what they say. The claims they make need to be checked, openly and impartially. Africa Check is an independent, non-partisan organisation which assesses claims made in the public arena using journalistic skills and evidence drawn from the latest online tools, readers, public sources and experts, sorting fact from fiction and publishing the results.